inFAMOUS: Resurgence
by Rewrite the Mistake
Summary: Conduits. Bio-Terrorists. The future of humanity's evolutionary line or the threat to the entire species. They don't matter to Ryuji. A high school kid down on his luck with no one to turn to in life. On what he thought would be the best day of his life is when fate decided to make him into something greater. Something worse. It's up to him which of these he is.
1. One Bad Day

I get up out of bed and take a look at my phone. I'm up on time again, second day in a row and on a Saturday too, just one more day before the weekend. The one day that's mine to do with what I want. It's the one day that I can get up from bed without wanting to sleep in, or I could sleep in if I wanted, to ignore school and everything outside.

But I have to go to school. Well, for me it's the closest thing to hell. That's dramatic, but I'm also pretty sure anyone in my shoes in the world would understand.

As I get downstairs the only reason for me still attending hugs me tight. Mom shows me to the table where breakfast is. Waking up on time means I get to enjoy it this time too. We watch the news on the television but it's the same shit as always. Something about a new Prime Minister, the rise in crime and political corruption, but it's always on about the mental shutdowns.

Today though they talked about some anniversary or whatever. An international holiday, I guess, to celebrate the defeat of the Bio-Terrorist's plague or whatever. Japan's only had like, what twelve or something? It's got nothing to do with me.

But the people abused by those guys with powers certainly have it worse. Seeing and hearing suffering around the world reminds me just how good I actually got it. It doesn't make me feel any better though.

I get my uniform on and school bag before leaving for school. A pretty rainy day, lots of thunder too, but all in all rather normal for Shibuya. There's some shouting then in an alley I enter. I use it as a shortcut to school.

The news wasn't kidding about the crime thing though. One of my classmates, Ichiro I think, pretty forgettable guy but harmless. He's getting his teeth fed to him by some bruiser. They're in my way so I can take the long way around to get to class on time.

Whatever he did to piss this guy off he probably had it coming to him.

It has nothing to do with me whatsoever. I already have enough on my own plate as it is.

"Ow! Who the fuck?!"

The thug stumbles the side as I socked him in the jaw. I get down and pull Ichiro up to his feet before pushing him to the other end of the alley.

"Go, man! Get out of here!"

He only nods before I see a flash of white with a mean headache. The guy's beating down on me and I try to fight back. I'm not too good at it. Marital arts, self-defense, never had the money to pay for lessons but didn't end up in too many fights to learn on my own.

So yeah. I got my ass kicked in an alley by some guy twice my size. I drag myself to school soaked in trash and leftover food from the alley mixed in with rainwater. Suffice to say I was the talk of the halls. It's the usual spiel now added with rumors spread by none other than Ichiro.

According to him, and the talk going on as I walk to class, he found me buying drugs and having no money to pay for them. This is exactly what I get for trying to help. I get to my class and tune everyone around me out best I can. I can already tell the teacher's using me as an example again as to what not to be and all.

That's the teacher's eight day in a row he's done this. It would be tiresome if it weren't stacked with all the other crap. I don't pay attention in class, mostly because no one's going to care if I do or don't, so why try hard if all I get is nothing but shit in return?

School comes and goes. Finally over with the ringing of the final bell. If I had a reason to stay before, and I used to, I certainly would've been around to help with clean up. I did leave a bit of a trail behind. I'm all out of good will after this morning though.

I don't take the same way home. Don't want to run into that kind of situation again. Only highlight of my day is seeing a text from my mom. She got a bonus today so we get to eat out somewhere nice. Maybe if I'm quick enough I can get myself cleaned up so she doesn't notice.

"Hey, kid."

Someone steps in my way. It's the guy who beat me up earlier. Fantastic.

"What, you want to go another round? I'll take you on."

I know I don't want to come off as a bitch but I certainly wasn't impressing anyone paying attention, let alone this guy. He sneers and nods his head to the side.

"What's in the past is behind us. C'mere. I got something for you."

He puts a hand on my shoulder and drags me into some cabaret club. I've never been in one before, so all the girls and smell of liquor is a bit much for me at first. He leads me into the private room where a fat man sits with women all over him.

"This the kid?"

The thug by my side nods. I guess I'm not making it to dinner with my mom... The fat man, probably the guy's boss, waves him off.

"Then you're done! Quit smirking like some retard and go already! I gave you your orders so don't fuck them up this time!"

"Wh-?! B-But sir...!"

"You talking back now, cockroach?"

The fat men leans forward like he's about to stand. That's enough to send his flunky running. Maybe this boss of his is something dangerous... But he looks like that mascot overseas. I think he's called the Cool Aide Man or something? He leans back as the girls all massage him. He's got a mean glare though.

"Ryuji Sakamoto?"

"Yeah?"

"You nearly got my idiot there arrested today... He's my best dealer on the streets... It cost me a good million yen to get him from facing the consequences. He pays me back in service, and he does damn good service, but you caused this whole incident to begin with. What will you pay me back with?"

"Why should I pay you for your guy being dumb enough to rough some kid in an alley and nearly get caught for it?"

"Because I don't like you and no one else seems to as well... I got a job for you. One and done. You do it right, I'll pretend this never happened, might even reward you."

"What if I say no?"

He sneers and holds up a picture of my mom... It takes everything in me not to rush the pig faced bastard and slug him.

"Your mom ain't all that pretty, but some guys will pay for an honest average woman, might get the mommy treatment they're sick asses are after. She pays or you pay. Either way someone is getting me my goddamn money."

I look down trembling with rage. The one good thing in his life I have could be taken from me if I do the one thing I'm good at. Screwing up. I'm not smart, I don't put a lot of time into speeches, I definitely don't have any charm if the girls at my school are anything to go by. I'm not even strong enough to just beat the shit out of this oversized blob.

I nod speaking through my teeth.

"What do you want..."

"Hm? Is that attitude? I could make it up to two million including interest."

"What do you want..."

I gulp swallowing what little pride I have left and look him in the eyes.

"Sir."

He smiles rather pleased at that as he caresses the cheek of one of his girls.

"That's better... I heard you used to be a track star!~ You can still run, can't you?"

"I haven't done track in months but I can do a few miles still."

"Good. Here's your job, real simple for a shithead like you, okay? I'm gonna deliver a package at your place. Don't open it. Take it to the location on the address yourself. When you get there? Wait for a call and we'll see from there. Now get out of my face."

Usually I would've asked a ton of questions. This whole situation screams bad deal but it's one I can't refuse.

As soon as I get to my door I can already see it. I haven't even gone in to rest up, clean up, I couldn't even eat cause I didn't have the money on me today. I can smell Mom cooking from the other side of the door...

I take the package and bolt. The faster I do this the sooner I can get back to her. I know this place actually. It's an old gym that closed down years ago. I started my would-be track career. I didn't think too much on it at first, but when I found myself inside the abandoned building, the memories came flooding back in.

I could see myself and other kids all running together with our parents cheering us on. It didn't matter if we were competing against each other then, it was fun. Back then I actually made it higher than I thought I would. Second place, but it was by a hair, and I couldn't help but wonder...

My phone rings then and I answer it. It occurs to me I never gave anyone my number. It's even more suspicious when Fatty isn't the one who answers me. I could've sworn I've heard the voice before though...

_"I see you have arrived at your destination. Please open the package."_

"What is it?"

_"Open and you'll see."_

I hate these cryptic assholes. I tear the wrapping apart and find some sort of... Thing. It's a sphere, metal and cold, it glows and has this indent across the center, something that lets it open and close. The top part twists a little in my grasp as I try to inspect it best I can. It's a bit awkward having to hold a phone between your neck and head so you can use both hands.

_"Good... How does it feel?"_

"Like a ball of ice... It's humming and vibrating- Is that safe?"

_"It's perfect. Can you close it for me?"_

"... U-Uh, can't you come and do that? I'm only here to pay off a debt man."

_"I'm the one who will be paying it. Kaneshiro is a pig of a man, but he has an eye for talent, Sakamoto-san. If you do me this small favor then I'll gladly gift you and your mother two million yen. One each. Check your bank account now if you don't believe me."_

I put the thing down, carefully since I don't know what I'm dealing with, but sure enough the creep is right. My balance had sky rocketed with about seven hundred and fifty thousand yen from... Someone.

_"I proved I can get you your money. Now please do me this small favor."_

Who was I to argue this? I get myself ready and do the deed. I don't know what to expect when I close it though. The light came from it began to brighten as it rumbles violently in my grasp. I try to let go and even throw the damn thing, but it's power must be keeping me stuck to it, my hands never leave that thing until all goes white.

And then I hear the boom.


	2. Great Power No Responsibility

Ringing... High-pitched and disorienting... Everything is throbbing... My head feels like it's been smashed open then operated on without any sedatives. Actually, my whole body feels like that. Regardless, I force myself to stand as m eyes finally adjust from the blast to abrupt darkness. I stand alone on a spire at the center of a large crater. Surrounding me is unrecognizable destruction. It's as if a bomb went off but that can't be... I would be dead if that were the case. Unless I am?

A blinding light stings my eyes from above as my hearing returned. A helicopter comes flying overhead as a voice speaks from the loud speaker.

_"Hey! There's someone still alive. Can you move?!"_

I wave stumbling, but able to keep on my feet as I climb down the spire.

_"Good! Get to the emergency station! We'll guide you! Follow the light!"_

I fall with a cough from the amount of debris dust flying into my lungs from the clouds. Everything is scalding hot, but it doesn't burn as much as it should, not that I care. I just want to get home to my mom. If I was set-up to die then who would take care of her? My home isn't too far from here.

I grow even more worried when I traverse through the toppled buildings and ruined city blocks. The blast was far larger than I though. How did I-?

"AGH!"

I enter a building and a cut wire shocks me from across the room... No, the power, the electricity inside of it flies out and into my body involuntarily. I feel less like walking mashed potatoes and more like myself. I should've died from that. It looks like whoever was guiding me around lost me too. That or they found more survivors from the sound of yelling. I leave the collapsed building and find a couple of people.

Two of them I've never met, but one trapped under a car I recognize on the spot, a homeroom teacher from school. What is she doing here? Did she live here? She's certainly not wearing something I've ever seen her before. The other two are trying to push the car off of her.

"H-Hey! I'll help!"

I rush over fast as I can and get in between them. The car starts to lift with all three of us, but just as progress is being made they stumble back and away from us, leaving me to do all the heavy lifting.

But I hardly feel the weight. My hands come to life with bolts of electricity as a power rises up from my chest and into my arms. A wave of energy bursts from my hands and send the car flying down the street. Kawakami is stunned as she stares at me with eyes that begin to fill with terror. I can't blame her. I'm scared too.

What I just did shouldn't be possible. Only a some kind of freak or a monster... Or a Bio-Terrorist. I look at Kawakami shaking my head.

"I-I didn't do this! I don't know what's going on! I don't-!"

I reach out for her but she yelps and scrambles away from me still on the ground. The other guys, some old guy with a beard and a man in a large coat hold their hands up at me, approaching me slowly.

"C-Calm down... We're all victims of the blast..."

"Easy kid, I get you're trying to help, no need to zap anyone..."

I step away from them as he says that. Zap... What am I now? Am I dangerous? I can't risk it. I run away from them and they hurry to Kawakami's side. I run as fast as I can trying to figure out where home is. I find more people, but they're mostly corpses, fewer that aren't charred...

But I get there. I find my building and run inside... It's barely standing, windows broken and walls ready to give way, but I have to make sure. I hope I don't find her inside. I hope she found a way out. If she is inside? I hope she's hiding under the table or bed like she taught me to do. I get to our door and find it busted down. None of the doors before are like that. I hurry in and find the place a mess, but so is the rest of the city, I can't help but panic until I find her on the ground.

Her head open from a gunshot wound. Her eyes, there are tears stains on her face, and her clothes are torn from some kind of struggle. I focus on the fact that my Mom is dead. There's nothing I can do about it. She was alone.

I am alone.

With no reason to stay, no home to rest, and no one to rely on I make my way out of the building and wander. After what feels like hours of walking, the occasional street light or wrecked car sending their electricity into my body, I find that emergency exit. I try to get close but I see them, the thug and Kaneshiro, those two and their boss did this. They had me trigger that goddamned bomb. They made me into this freak. They killed my mom.

"You...! YOU...!"

I only see them. I don't notice my body glowing, sparks and bolts flying off my body, people terrified with some shrieking as they run from me. The thug is one of them and I raise my hand up.

"DON'T YOU DARE RUN FROM ME!"

All I want is for him to suffer as I have. To feel the pain they inflicted on her. To know the fear and terror in his last moments just as she had. He falls forward convulsing from a lighting bolt flying into his body. If I weren't so mad I would've been in shock myself... But I continue marching to Kaneshiro.

"Y-You!? You were supposed to die in the explosion! N-Not even a bio-freak should've survived that-!"

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

I grab him by his throat. Even though he has the height and weight advantage over me, I overpower him physically, forcing him on his knees as I grab his head... It's instinct from here. I've no control over how these powers work. I should have been sickened with my actions, guilty or ashamed, but it felt good.

Seeing his face melt, eyes pop out of his skull before exploding, mouth foaming before turning to smoke. I fried that piggy son of a bitch and made burnt bacon out of him. I would do it again too. I let him go but my power is swelling. Rising. I finally gain my senses and see what I've done in front of a large group of people. A few I recognize from school.

There's nothing I can say or do. Killing those men felt good but it didn't take away my pain. Even then the feeling is bittersweet. It felt good at the time but now I am disgusted with myself. All I can do for anyone is run.

So I run.

* * *

Weeks have passed since that day. I haven't heard much outside of the city being under quarantined. There's no plague like all those years ago, but a witch hunt for any Bio-Terrorists. For me. I've gotten good at running and climbing. I figured out fast I can survive falls from great height too.

That and I basically live on a diet of canned food and electrical appliances. I got lucky that night too, no one's called me out or outed me as a Conduit, so I tend to get what I need and go. On good days I share what I have with others. There's this one guy in particular that always manages to get food from me.

"Sakamoto-kun. Is that my payment for today?"

I offer a small container of rations and even fruit.

"It hasn't rotten yet so you better enjoy them. If I see you painting your food instead of eating it, I will."

He frowns his pretty boy pout. It's more pathetic than anything else. He brushes his hair with his fingers, frosted tips shed icy shavings from his hands, he's better at hiding his powers than most.

"I will keep that in mind... My project is almost done by the way."

"That's good to hear, Yusuke. I'll see you around."

* * *

_I met Yusuke on a food run. There was some talk going around about a Bio-Terrorist that would freeze water so people couldn't fish for food. I figured I would look into it before anyone else called what's left of the authorities. Turns out the opposite was true. Some fishermen were keeping him a secret as a living fridge for their food supply._

_But they wouldn't feed him. They barely kept him alive. So I came in and scared them off with a few bolts around the place. I remember how thin he was back then, you could nearly see the bone, but he refused to take their food. I guess he felt guilty for what he is. I can't say I blame him when I feel the same._

_I got him out of there and he hid his powers to take refuge in one of the safe camps. From there on he's been living among the few kinder people left in Shibuya._

* * *

Yusuke has put on some weight since those days. Apparently he was a student at Kosei High, a talent show of a school, and his talent happens to be art. He's made fast friends for it, able to make people's day with his drawings and miniature sculptures, he even helps this group make posters reminding people there's hope.

He's a bit of an inspiration that maybe there's some good to be had. I leave his small camp for the ruins of Akihabara. There's a kid that hangs around one of the arcades. He sees me walking down the street and runs up to me.

"Yo, freak! Freak! You're back! I need you to power up the game again!"

"You shouldn't be out here alone. Go back to Central Street."

"I gotta play Gun About."

"If I beat you will you go home?"

"You can't beat me, freak."

* * *

_It was right after I had ran from the crowd. Couple of hours from that moment. I was just looking for somewhere to be and found myself in the middle of a riot. People who came around here were mostly young men who tried to escape reality into virtual entertainment. Now it's full of manic people in a frenzy for supplies and resources. There was so much happening at once, that fueled the disoriented chaos of the blast, the blast I caused and put us in this situation. This is my fault..._

_But who am I to say or do anything about it?_

_There are buildings being robbed. People being assaulted, shit they were killing each other, for something as little as batteries. Course the usual meek and mild-mannered otaku creeps looking for some shelter even go feral. Those girls at the maid cafes didn't stand much of a chance. I don't know if I should've done something at that moment. I made things as bad they we're already. That's when I noticed the dead woman and her son._

_He was crying over her body in front of the arcade. Seeing him then, just moments after my own loss, something snapped in me. One of the guys saw his hat and went to take it from him. As he scurried away, keeping a hold on the last thing his mother gave him, I sent that eggeheaded piece piece of shit through the arcade window behind them. Everyone stopped and looked at me from the sound of my power._

_I fired a few more bolts at the more violent protestors before they began to flee. I could hear the screams from the cafe and went inside. I hate hearing people cry. Mom would cry when she thought I was asleep. I went inside and chased the rapists away. The girls were frightened I'd kill them, so I left, but the kid stopped me._

_"You're a freak... I bet this is your fault..."_

_I didn't say anything as he kicked my shin and ran away... A few days later, when I came back looking to drain those batteries and whatever else I could find still running, I saw him in the arcade standing in front of an arcade machine._

_"You know it's got no power, right? You'd need coins to play anyways."_

_He jumped with a startled squeak and turned to me full of fear. Then his face became hateful._

_"Oh... You."_

_"Here."_

_I put my hand on the machine and watched it spring to life. After that, I started to leave, but he stopped me with a shout._

_"I got taken to Central Street where they buried my mom... She'd play with me here after work every day."_

_"... I lost my mom too... Get back to safety when you're done."_

* * *

Shinya. That's the kid's name. I learned it after our third game together. He's great at Gun About and always wins against me. It's no problem though, if anything my aim for firing has gotten better, and he's started to smile some. The game ends and he sneers at me.

"Looks like I win again, freak."

"Whatever. I got somewhere to be. Last time I'll tell you today, get back to Central Street. I can't play this game if you're dead."

"Yeah, yeah."

He takes to his backpack and runs to me holding out some broken piece of steel. It's glowing like some kind of radioactive nightlight. I snatch it from him growling

"What the hell are you carrying around something like this for!? It could be dangerous!"

"I-I figured it could help you! When I found it, it was like you, sucking up all the power around it! Figured when it stopped that it was... Safe?"

He tilts his head at me as I feel a surge of power welling up inside of me. I look to the steel piece and notice the glow diminishing second by second until all of the energy stored is mine. I recognize this feeling. This was shrapnel from the sphere I activated.

"Where did you find this...?"

"Th-They're all over town! I bet you passed a bunch without even noticing! I'll get you more if you help me out."

I toss it to the side and glare at him.

"These are dangerous... But what do you need me for?"

Shinya crosses his arms at me as if to mean business. He's like ten. I can't take him seriously no matter what.

"There are these other freaks that raid our safe place. They hurt a lot of people, and steal our food and our medicine, so I need you to kill them!"

A kid is demanding I kill a bunch of guys I don't care for to save people I don't know. The world in this town has gone to Hell. Reluctantly, I nod and gesture to the door.

"Lead the way."


	3. Responsibility

When I get to Central Street with Shinya, I hardly recognized the place, I hadn't ventured too far out of the blast zone to notice. They managed to make use of the toppled buildings as bridges to one another. Zip lines, wooden structures, basically anything they could get their hands on to use connect everything. But I was looking up. Looking ahead is another story.

Beds, gurneys, futons, sleeping mats and even newspaper were being used to rest the injured and sick. No doctors, nobody that looked the part, just people trying to survive with the bare necessities. The power all around would flicker on and off, disorienting me since I need that power to survive too, but that is just the least of their problems. I could hear hungry kids and elders wailing for their meal. Nobody had any food to spare. Shinya takes my sleeve and pulls me along.

"This way. The leader's right over here."

"You guys have a leader?"

"Yeah, she's the only one really keeping things together."

Color me impressed. Don't get me wrong, there are a bunch of safe spots around the blast zone where I live, but they're nowhere near as big as this one. Then again, none of them are exactly faring any better either, if anything this sight of hopelessness reminds me that we're on our own. Whoever this leader is has to be someone willing to carry all these lives on their back.

I sure wasn't expecting to see Kawakami though. Imagine my shock when Shinya runs from my side to hers as she's giving orders around.

"We can restock on food later, the walls have to be repaired now, and I need someone to get new spotlights for when it gets dark-!"

"Nee-san! Nee-san!"

"Who...? Shinya? Where have you been!? You've got dispersal duty!"

Shinya points at me and our meet after what's felt like years. Kawakami and I, we're not exactly the closest, but she was of the few teachers that gave a damn. She'd mock my hair but always tell me to not give up. She wasn't even my teacher. I heard she would sleep during study time, I caught her buying cheap groceries a few times, she simply wasn't extraordinary in anyway. Then again, I wasn't either before the blast.

"Sakamoto... Y-You..."

"Hey. He said you had problems with violence?"

She could've outed me then. The D.U.P. hasn't moved in on us from fear of some illness or something. Then again there were sick people all over the place. I had no idea in my small corner of the world... Kawakami nods and gestures for me to follow her.

"If you're here to help then come with me."

"I don't promise anything..."

I can't really. I have no idea what I'm getting myself into. She leads me to some empty convenient store and we sit in the employee only lounge. No one but us in a single room. She glares at me harshly but it isn't hate-filled like I'm used to. It's fear with a mask of anger upfront.

"Did you do it? The bombing? Th-The sudden appearance in all these monsters and-! ... Was it you?"

I lower my head and sit down in one of the chairs.

"It's not a long story. I usually say I've no idea what happened."

"But you weren't always a Bio-Terrorist! W-Were you!?"

"I'dunno... I don't know, I never had the powers before, and I never wanted them! I want to get rid of them, dammit!"

I pound my fist on the table and leave an indent on the wood. She jumps from that and I shrink back.

"I-I... I haven't seen anyone else from school..."

"Not too many are around anymore. Most of my class made it but... It's been hard on all of us. I'm willing to hear you out. Then, I'll do what I'll have to, just as you should."

She pulls up a chair and listens to everything I have to say. I started from that morning, but she would always interrupt me and ask questions, to the point that I would have to go even further back. She didn't take my side when those lies of me being a drug addict then, but apparently she had her doubts, she even sighs a breath of relief.

"So it was just a lie after all... But, what about the blast?"

"If you'd let me keep going..."

I won't lie though, I liked that someone finally heard the truth, that and believed it. I get to the dealer, then to Kaneshiro, and finally to the sphere. I pause and gauge her face for a reaction. Trying to figure out what's going on in her mind. She's been easy to read up until this point. She hasn't blamed me but she hasn't said it isn't my fault. I decide to continue on but... It gets hard to talk about but I tell her about mom. She puts a hand on my arm then.

"I-I... I didn't know. They must have assumed you would die in the blast... Instead you gained your powers. I know what happens after that. You killed those men, Kaneshiro and his subordinate, I know because one of the surviving student saw it and told me."

"...! Y-You heard about...!?"

"I tried to rack my head around it. Why would a boy save me when he bombed the city? Why would he be so gruesome in killing two men but then run from the crowd? Things simply didn't add up."

She stands up groaning.

"I just want to crash into a bed and pretend none of this is happening. But when you saved me, I thought that the city would come together, not tear itself apart. I took what I could from what little people stayed sane and we began to build from the ground up. While all the gangs were growing and fighting each other, we thrived under the battle, we were getting into the rhythm of sneaking in and out of conflicts... Lately they've all been working together to take us out."

"You accidentally gave them a target to unite over... Now you need someone to stop the fighting."

She nods.

"I would like it if we could convince them instead of fighting like savages..."

"I've been around the place but all the thugs and raiders I've seen are small in number. What're these guys called?"

She rolls her eyes mumbling under her breath.

"Their name is Dragon's Breath. They have this pyromania thing going on. Be careful of fire bombs and the like. They even have guns..."

I get up and leave the building with her, but she stops me grabbing my arm, whispering into my ear.

"I won't tell anyone you were tricked into this... That's for you to do... Please prove everyone wrong. You're not a Terrorist, Ryuji."

She leaves me for the others. I'm left with the responsibility of not just stopping these guys, but making sure they don't come back, or at least disband them. I mean... I didn't say I would, but I may as well try, who knows what kind of shit I'll have to deal with later in my life later.

I try to go after her because I've no idea where to go. Before I can though, car horns sound all over, and people begin to panic as they rush themselves inside. I can hear the sound of vehicles moving and make my way opposite of the fleeing crowd. I arrive at the homemade gate, now burning and forced open by an explosion, some red headed guy in a mix of military and casual gear walks right through with a party of guys wearing gas masks. He's the only one with a gun, but the others have weapons from knives to barbed bats and everything in between, they came here to kill.

"Hey! You got a death wish? Or maybe you want to join us?! We're always looking for new meat to cook!"

"Sure. I'll join. Nothing here but worried women and dying losers."

They look surprised as I approach them. Before the lead could say much else with his stupid smile, he's dumb enough to let me get close, so I give him a solid punch to the nose.

Being a Bio-Terrorist has it's perks in more than just having powers, you know? I mean, I'm no super athlete or elite fighter, but I do have enough strength to dent metal when I'm angry enough. I'm not exactly sure how strong I am now but it's enough to send this guy on his ass. Everything slows down then.

I'm not sure why or how my body does this, but from what I've learned from my past street fights for food and survival, I'm moving faster than they are. They just seem slow to me. I guess I just do it when I feel threatened. It makes dodging the incoming attacks easier. One guy swings a crowbar at me. I catch it and run power through the thing sending him into a seizure. Another swings a pipe at me, which I match with the crowbar, doing much of the same before. With two weapons of my own in each hand and the others realizing what I am, they men start to step back.

"He's a goddammed Bio-Freak!"

"S-Shit... Shit! Where'd they get one of those!?"

"Kejiro, waste him already!"

The man I punched before, his nose has practically turned into a pig's nostril with how far it's turned up, he aims his rifle and fires right at me. Even with everything slowed down I'm not fast enough to dodge bullets. I hold my hands out and send a shockwave of electricity. Well, I think it's that and more, since both bullets and the gang go flying back.

"D-Dammit! This isn't how it was supposed to go...! AH!"

Kejiro tries to run away with the other but I put my foot down on his head. He smiles fearfully and tries to squirm from under my heel.

"H-Hey, hey, wait a second...! They probably want their shit back, right? I-I can take you to our base! We got tons of food and medicine from the shit they drop in every week!"

"You think You caj weasel your way out of punishment by ratting out your friends?"

"There aren't friends in this town, dude! Kill or be killed! We're in the wild, back in the Stone Age, I just side with the strong! L-Look... Let me go and I'll show you where all the stuff we took is sitting. Okay!?"

I hesitate to answer, putting weight on his head to listen to him squeal a bit more.

On one hand Kawakami, Shinya, all these people won't last the end of the month without those supplies. I doubt they'd ever forgive me, but it'd be a good step towards redemption, maybe even a purpose.

But what this guy said is true. I can't keep looking out for others without taking care of myself. This whole shitty town put me into the ground. Hell, as far as I'm concerned this society deserved a reboot, just look at the state of this town. All of that food should be mine if I'm the one getting it...

I have to decide soon.


	4. Fire Storm

I remove my foot from his head and stomp down on his gun. Without a weapon, his fake smile shatters like the fire-arm, grunting loudly as I pull him up to his feet.

"First thing's first. You need a lesson in humility."

"Ow! Ow, ow, ow! Why are you squeezing so hard!?"

He shuts up when I twist his arm behind his back.

"Shut up. We're going to that base of yours. Now lead the way or I turn what's left of your brain into scrambled eggs."

I shove him ahead with an arm already aimed at him primed with electricity. I don't have much patience for lowly opportunists like this guy. He's sweating badly and frantically speed walks ahead. I fire a bolt at his feet to stop him.

"Slower, Rooster Head."

"R-Rooster...?! J-Just cause the style is similar doesn't mean-!"

I fire another one. He understands that I don't give a shit. We walk a few blocks before he abruptly shouts out.

"N-Now!"

And dives behind an overturned taxi. From the windows of various flaming bottles fly at me. I narrowly send them all away with a shockwave from my hands, but I feel weakened, usually do after a shockwave. The bottles explode around Kejiro, himself surrounded by searing flames, but he only laughs as more of his flunkies walk out from cover.

"We got our own Conduit! She's the right hand to our big boss! She and her second-in-command would smoke you! Thankfully, we'll save them the trouble!"

This would've been a problem if I weren't next to a car. It isn't too much energy, but the battery does the trick, and I wait for the nearest idiot to get close. He swings down a bat at me, but leaning out of the way, I put my hand on his face and slam him into the ground hard. With a stomp to his chest I shoot out electrical bonds to keep him down on the ground.

It isn't my first time using that power. When you're on the run for being a freak and hated bye everyone in a city with no laws or police, you learn how to survive with new tricks quick. I send these "shock shackles" and capture most of the oncoming group. Hell, some of them fall close enough together that they get trapped in a net, the electric bonds connecting to one another as they try to break free.

Kejiro stutters and stammers in fear trying to flee. It took until that moment for him to realize he isn't exactly fire proof.

"H-Hey...! What're you waiting for?! Get me outta this fire!"

I wanted to be mad, but honestly I found it too funny, I couldn't hide my smile at the irony of it all. I leaned against another car right by the wall of flames.

"I though you guys were pyromaniacs? Isn't this the kind of thing you did to those people back at Central Street?"

Kejiro goes bug eyed as I can see the fire closing in him. He shakes his head starting to beg.

"N-no no no no no no no! Please! W-We had a deal, man! C'mon you can't leave me to die burning alive!"

"I was gonna cook you from the inside out regardless."

That isn't entirely a lie. I thought about killing all these guys, but it was more convenient this way for me, that and I've taken enough lives with that bombing. Kejiro panics as he begins to step back into the fire. He might be desperate enough to just run through it.

"W-What?!"

I sigh and send another shockwave to put out the fire and knock Kejiro into the air. He lands on the street with a groan but I pull him up to his feet again.

"I'm feeling pretty nice today, and I owe the lady back there, so try not to give me a reason to kill you for real this time."

He smiles nervously as he laughs between choked stuttering as he coughs between words.

"H-Hehe...! Hehehehe...! Y-You're not a... You're not a bad guy at all, mi-mister!"

"Don't mister me, I'm only sixteen, and don't open your mouth anymore unless it's for directions for your place."

"Y-Yessir..."

It took longer than I'd liked, but the Sun is still up, barely shining past the thick clouds. He takes me to some sulfur-scented apartment building. It was abandoned before the blast, home to homeless in the area, but now there's a bunch of thuggish freaks with their guns and bombs aimed at us both. Kejiro steps forward away from me waving his arms wildly.

"H-Hey! Heey! G-Get the boss you idiots! It's a Bio-Freak! H-He...!"

He pauses for some reason with a sharp wheeze. I look where he's gawking and nearly drop my jaw as well. The big boss is just some tall shirtless yakuza guy with a dragon tattoo on his torso. He has a big coat on with fancy jewelry. This guy isn't shit.

The girl next to him is what has me stupefied. All natural blonde hair with furious blue eyes, a natural beauty all things considered, and my ex-school mate. Ann Takamaki glares down at us both with indifference. The boss guy shouts loudly as they look down at us from a balcony at the top of the building.

"You brought a new recruit, Kejiro? Looks like he ain't shit to me!"

The rat snickers looking at me in a frantic panic trying to find the best words to say.

"R-Re-Recruit...?! I-I su-s-suppose so if he's smart enough t-"

I zap him to shut him up as he doubles over in pain. Ann's eyes widen like mine when she recognizes me. We used to be friends in grade school, but drifted apart in first year of highschool, no drama between us. At least not back then...

"Ryuji...? You're a Conduit?!"

She looks at the Dragon but he shakes his head at her.

"That kid's trouble, dear. I bet he killed all our guys trying to get supplies for us. Just look at the state of Kejiro."

Her shock turns to a stone cold face as she looks down at me... On me again. She never looked at me like she did the other students until now. Looking at me like I was something less than human. She raises both her hands as the gang fire bombed the walls and area around me.

They aren't trying to kill me. They're giving her ammunition to burn me to a crisp.

As soon as the fire comes to life they fly into the air and straight into her. That's when she jumped off and became a living fireball coming right at me. I throw Kejiro's stupid ass to the side, but doing that left me no room to defend myself, so I'm launched back after being hit with an intense wave of fire.

I get up forcefully onto my feet. I don't like fighting girls. Having a lady support me until her last breath makes this hard. I can see it in Ann too as she pants standing in her own inferno. She's not used to her powers, and she doesn't want to fight either, but she isn't backing down now.

"Ann, don't do this..."

"How can I not!? I don't have anyone else! That blast that did this? It took everything away from me! These people took me in wheb everyone else...!"

She brings her arms up before swinging down an arm as a whip made of fire cracks.

"Wanted nothing to do with me!"

"These guys ain't shit! You even move on past the blast radius!?"

She tries to lash me with the whip, and at first it's clear she's never used one before in her life, but as I dodged I still get licked bad across the arm. Hell, it only hit my arm because the whip magically moves from one direction to me, all I could have done was block. No, not magic, it's her power. She's a pyrokinetic.

Great.

On the plus side, even as her whip wraps around my arm, it doesn't burn as badly as it should. It is burning more the longer I let it stay on me. If she wants me then I'll bring her to me, so I pull hard on the whip forcing her close, she nearly falls over and I decide to meet her halfway with a headbutt.

She falls back and the whip vanishes. That's enough for me now.

"Ann, you're too pretty to kick the shit out of, and you're being used! Have you even seen anyone else from school!?"

"I saw you kill the leaders to a gang. You're the reason the criminals in town are in a war with each other! Why would you even do that?!"

She was there? Of course she was... I don't care though. I'm too furious thinking back on that memory.

"Why? Why!? That fat fuck killed my mother, Ann!"

"He what...?"

"You think I'd fry someone like that publicly for no goddamn reason!? You think you're the only one who's alone!? At least you have nimrods sticking by your side for your powers! I don't even got that!"

Dragon interrupts us after taking a swig of beer.

"She came to us, boy. Where were you when she was being chased by mobs? Shit, don't throw your own pity party when we're all suff-"

He shrieks showing his true colors for a moment when a bolt barely passes by his head. I glare up at him despite the guns now trained on me.

"That's not the point. The goddamn point, Ann Takamaki, is that your shithead group here has been stealing and pillaging a survivor camp on Central Street! Kawakami runs the place because no one else would stand up to take the lead!"

Ann snarls and sends me into the air with an intense torrent of flame from both hands. I land on top of a car feeling like I just got hit by a meteorite.

"We don't take from people! We never do that! We recruit and save people from the other gangs!"

I sit up groaning but smiling.

"Then how come Kawakami isn't here with you safe and sound?"

It seems she realizes what I've been saying for a hood minute. Kawakami was her homeroom teacher after all. She looks at her leader, then back at me, conflicted before speaking up after I roll off the car and get to my feet.

"She's... She's alive?"

"She sent me here to get back food and medicine stolen by that Rooster Headed grunt over there."

I point to Kejiro hiding behind a fallen neon sign. He ducks under but she stomps her way over to him, ignoring Dragon's orders.

"Ann! Ann-chan! Y-You know that kid ain't no good! You said so yourself!"

She grabs Kejiro by his hair hearing up her hand.

"Is it true? The real reason I can't leave the base, the amount of stuff you found, are there people we're stealing from!?"

"A-Argh! Agh! Ahh! I-It's...! It's the way of the world, Ann...! It's how we survive!"

She clicks her tongue before releasing him. As he runs away, she stares at her gang angrier than before, but Dragon merely sighs.

"I wanted to take this slow... But i guess you've leave me no choice, babe. I was gonna treat you nice and everything. Boys! Waste those two!"

I've gotten good at dodging bullets. Especially since no one I've met yet, even now, aren't exactly military or police trained. However, there are a lot of guys with guns, more so than even I can handle. They rain down a bullet storm on us but Ann uses the rest of her power to summon a shield over us. The bullets either melt or outright disintegrate upon contact, not one comes through, but she can't keep it up forever. She falls over weak and I'm forced to carry her under fire. At least she made it less intense, most of the gunmen are reloading, so I run into an alley and set her down.

"I would've waited until you were inside to betray them."

"Shut up... I just need some firepower..."

"I'll deal with it and come back for you. Just rest."

I stand to leave but grabs my hand.

"Before you go... Sorry... For leaving you on your own at school."

I look at her and smile shrugging it off and brushing her hand away.

"Don't die and get to Kawakami to help. Do that and we're even."

She scoffs trying to stand before stumbling to a trash fire. She absorbs the thermal energy and makes her leave. I can't just yet. I've still got a job to do.


	5. Man On A Mission

I manage to make my way inside the building after narrowly avoiding being made a bullet reserve. Zapping people in an enclosed space is far easier even when they're at the top of stairs. I can even focus my energy into smaller shock waves to blow back grenades and fire bottles. I've even managed to create something new. When I fire a bolt at the neck of someone near a group, the lightning "splashes", spreading to the others to become one giant shackle for them all. A good few of those and I've near detained the entire gang running around. The idiots have all kinds of generators and televisions. What should've been a fight for my life became a game of catch for me. I get to the top of the building and come face to face with the Dragon himself. He aims a rocket launcher.

On reflex I send a shockwave just as he fires a missile. Where did he even get such a thing in the country?! It turns around and narrowly missed him. He falls over, his life flashing before his eyes, before I take him by the foot and drag him to the edge of the building.

I hang him over the deadly height just so he can get a nice proper view from above.

"Here's the deal. Quit targeting the camp in Central. I'm being very nice this time but there won't be a next time! Got it!?"

I shake him some before I pretend to drop him. For a guy who looks like he came out of crime movie he sure does squeal.

"Okay! O-Okay! Okay! I-I heard what you did to Kaneshiro... J-Just... Don't kill me too!"

I toss him to the side and destroy his weapon with a bolt. In fact I make it a priority to destroy every gun I find on the way down. Violence is in people's nature but I can at least make it so everyone without powers has a fighting chance. Hell, even people with powers. I take back what they took after questioning a good few of the thugs, and load one of the spare trucks they use to carry stolen goods, but this time I'm returning what's been taken.

I never learned how to drive so I hit a few ruined cars on the way. They reinforced this thing with armor though, and the straps keep everything down, eventually I realize my big toe is enough to keep me from killing myself. Driving isn't actually all that bad... I used to wonder what it was like to sail too.

I wake up from my daydream as someone stands in the way. Some creepy guy, about my age and height, frizzy black hair and bloodstained clothes. He walks to my side of the truck and smiles at me with this sweet grin. His skin looks so fair and pale, like a doll's, but there's just something wrong with him.

"Hello..."

"... Yo."

"I saw what you did back there... You could have killed them all."

"I don't like to kill. I just try to get by."

"Get by? You'd be getting by fine with all of this. Why bring it back to those people? They won't care."

"I owe it to them."

"Nonsense... I owe you. Thanks for the meal."

He walks away with his lips opening from his smile growing wider. I used to watch all kinds of shows and movies, vampires have this charm to go with the terror, but there is no charm here. I only catch a glimpse but this freak's mouth is full of fangs. Uneven, crooked, but definitely clean. At first I figured he was going to eat the men I subdued. I got out my car to stop him, share what I had, but then he raises his hand above one man...

All of the blood floats up and out of the body into this... Thing. He looks at me again with his eyes lowered.

"I'm Ren... Or at least I used to be. I like Akira better. What do you think?"

I don't answer. I'm in a state of sheer disgust and utter confusion, unable to properly react, to even open my mouth. He must have known this cause he keeps talking anyways.

"I guess it really doesn't matter. Don't worry. I only need a few blood bags... You seem like a good person so I hope we can be friends. See you around."

"Hey. Wait."

I don't know what I was thinking then but there's something more than just a few screws loose in this guy. He doesn't seem so bad either. I can't explain it but he's like me, Yusuke, and Ann. It isn't right o let him live like this when I know he can be better.

"Try to find yourself some new clothes at Akihabara since most the malls have been stripped or destroyed. You can have some of the food in this stockpile."

He tilts his head at me before smiling. A clear sight at those wretched teeth of his... They're straighter now, fixed you could say, it reminds me of when I would break my bones only to absorb some power to heal.

"No... No thank you... I know what you think of me, but you're the first person to try and help me regardless of how I look, and I... I'm so grateful."

He turns away and wanders into the building. Some part of me shouts to stop him but, I've wasted enough time here, I need to focus on getting these stolen goods back to Kawakami and reunite with Ann. I have to let her know what's going on. What I did.

I manage to get a better hold of driving by the time I make it to the entrance of the camp. At first, people were in a panic seeing the Dragon's car with their things attached to it. They were already starting to hide until I came out. Shinya's a brave kid. Stupid, but brave. He didn't hide and he didn't scream, holding a slingshot with a handful of rocks, he was ready for a fight until he saw me.

"Freak! You actually did it...?!"

"Get Kawakami so we can spread this stuff evenly."

"R-Right!"

As he ran off, Ann walks in from the side, hiding just out of sight.

"I got her not too long ago. They don't even have weapons or any guards..."

"They have some security now. Help me help them?"

"Gladly. If I knew there were other people suffering like this I would've never joined that gang."

"Don't open your heart out to them yet. They don't know we're Conduits. Kawakami probably won't mind but the others..."

She nods with a frown and we walk back to the truck. Kawkami meets us with the few able bodied people assisting us with handing everything out. It's kind of a foreign feeling now after everything. Gratitude, praise, general hospitality. Shinya surprises me by not calling me freak in front of everyone. Ann practically goes into overdrive doing and learning whatever she can to help people. When's all said and done, Kawakami has me and Ann back int he employee lounge. Ann sits there with a stoic face on after hearing my story.

"So you're the cause of all this."

I can only nod in silence. I expect her to fly into a rage and attack me again, if not shout at me about how it's all my fault, either way she has as much of a reason as anybody does. Instead, she gets up and leaves without a word, and I don't chase after her. It did hurt though. Kawakami sighs watching her leave before looking to me.

"Don't beat yourself up over this. You did great today. You might even be able to make a difference in the city if you keep helping others like this."

"I think that's all I can do. Mom would've wanted me to do this and I need to make it up to everyone."

"Just take it one step at a time. You're still only just one boy."

She looks at me strangely before smiling with a smug expression as she ruffles my hair. Visible static electricity audibly crackles in a harmless noises as she does so.

"You're real hair color is coming back from you growing it out."

"My hair also standing on end whenever I'm not moving..."

"Maybe you should shave it?"

I don't even entertain the idea.

"Hell no, sensei! I'll just style it or something..."

"Do you even know how?"

We stare at each other before she starts laughing. I follow after her. It's silly but nice to have a moment like this. I just never thought it'd be with Kawakami of all people. I decide to take the truck with me after staying the night. I try to sneak out just at morning. The praise is great but sooner or later the people are going to know the truth, and I don't know if they'll like me so much afterwards, Hell I still hate myself after everything. I just hate myself a little less, you know?

Something is off about the truck though. Most trucks like this, a pickup, usually have an open carry. The Dragon's Breath modified the carry with the armor to give it a latch like a trunk, but it's cracked open, and I can see a faint light coming from inside. I open it to see a shit ton of those shards from before. Had to be about ten of them. On top of the pile was a note in girl's handwriting.

_I can't forgive you for what you've done but I can't condemn what you're trying to do too. Goodbye._

_Ann_

I pocket the note. It feels like she just broke up with me even though we're hardly friends. I wonder why she didn't absorb these for herself... Or if she even can. Regardless, I take the power these shards hold and feel myself brimming with newfound power. I get into the car and turn on the ignition.

And the engine explodes nearly catching the whole truck on fire with me in it...

You'd think I would assume it a bomb or some trap but it occurs to me. My entire body is practically electric energy. I've tried to use guns before but they explode in my hand whenever I pull the trigger. Taking from those experiences brings me to a shitty conclusion. With all the things I've been able to do it seems I've lost the ability to do other things as well. The truck probably exploded after I absorbed the radiation from the shards. Just my luck

After collecting myself from the surprise I decide to take to the roofs. I never really was a climber before, but it's the single most funnest way to get around, plus for me the easiest. Especially when all the pipes on the walls can be used to launch me in the air from my power. Looking over the city from a high place brings me to a bitter melancholy. I can see the camp Kawakami and Shinya are in but I can also see most of the city. The results of my actions.

I'm going to make things right from here on no matter what.


	6. Pollution

I get to this park, it had a name but people call it Death Lake now, due to this weird tar shit in the water. It isn't strictly in the lake either. All the plants, animals, even people are infected with this awful disease. It's as if the tar starts to grow inside of them, it'll leak out of barks of trees, and the noses as well as eyes of living creatures.

It's the effect of a gang calling itself Plague. When I arrive, they're the first to greet me. They don't talk, I don't even think they can, since the tar is all that comes out.

The Dragons were just thugs and opportunists. Desperate bastards made for the worst due to the situation we're all in. The Plague are entirely different. I see them in stained bandages, clothes drenched in the black substance, no guns thankfully but going near them at all is a death sentence in it's own right.

Thankfully I don't have to do that much.

When one draws near trying to hit me with a tar smeared bat I send him flying with a bolt.

"I don't want to hurt anyone but you guys gotta go!"

That's what I wanted to say. The words didn't come out though as the man I zapped bursts into flames with the others jumping back from me. I didn't even mean to kill him. He didn't scream or writhe around, just laid there dead as the body burned, and then it hit me when I saw all their smiles on their putrid faces. They didn't know I was a Conduit, but they did know they were flammable, and from the look on my face they know I didn't know that.

If I was some kind of sick freak, or a man who didn't care, this gang would be over in seconds. The park would be scorched and the awful smell would linger in the city for weeks... Who knows, the disease could go airborne, and that's precisely what they'd want. I don't know if being a Conduit means my immune system is far stronger now, I don't wanna take that risk, sending the crowd away with a large shockwave.

"Hey! This way!"

I hear behind me. From afar with a woman with a gas mask waves at me. A steel pole in hand with a camera around her neck leads me to believe she's either crazy for sightseeing or has been following me this whole time.

"What're you gawking at?! C'mon! Follow me or you're gonna end up like them!"

She isn't wrong. I can see more coming closer from all around. I didn't even see them when I entered the park beforehand. With little option to fight back without starting a massive fire, I follow her as we sprint out of there, and it is a pretty big park. I run up to her side since I've no issue keeping up with her.

"Who are you?"

She talks between breaths. She isn't a runner, not even athletic, just some average woman running for her life.

"I-I'm! Taking! Questions! When we're safe! Just run! H-Here!"

She hands me the pole.

"I've seen what you could do! If you can make it so they don't catch on fire! That'd be a great start!"

Should've known someone would be following me. She doesn't have any powers herself, or she can't use them, not that it matters to me right now. I take the pole and put in as little power as I can into the thing. One of our pursuers manages to cut in front of us, but with one swing at their jaw sends them to the ground, no fire or sparks.

A few more get batted out of the way before we make it to the park exit. She's absolutely winded.

"Don't stop running now, they're still right behind us!"

"I... Can't... Keep going...!"

"Well I can't leave you behind either so-!"

She lets out a gasp as I heave her over my shoulder. She's a bit below average weight, maybe it's cause she's short, maybe it's cause food is hard to come by. Either ways she hardly slows me down as I keep running for us both.

Death Lake is the most concentrated part of the Plague, but they own the surrounding area of the city too, so numerous stragglers follow us despite most of the horde stopping at the park exit.

"These guys are relentless! Yo, lady, got anything to deal with them?!"

"As a matter of fact...!"

She digs into her waist bag and throws something at them. A thick plume of smoke disorients the zombie-like freaks and let's us escape. We run into an alley out of view. I put her down and offer her back the pole but she shakes her head.

"You'll need that for later. What were you doing there anyways?"

"Heard there were bad things going on and I want to fix them..."

She folds her arms at me accusingly.

"Like you did for that camp in Central? Word gets out pretty quick, Electric Boy."

"You know who I am?"

She removes the gas mask to wink at me. A fair face with black hair and red lipstick. Weird to wear make up under a mask.

"I know enough to know you'll be of some use. Conduits aren't exactly well liked around these parts... But I don't have the luxury of prejudice."

She then holds a hand out.

"Ohya Ichiko. Journalist and brave photographer."

I reach for her hand she offers but she pulls back with sweat beading down her pale face.

"W-Wait! I saw what you did! You got enough control over your powers to not kill someone on contact?!"

I hold the steel pipe and run as much power as it can take before pulling it all back into my body. In her eyes the thing went from normal, to layered in bolts like some kind of bomb, back to normal in seconds. She gives a wary smile.

"Just didn't want to be fried like that one guy... Didn't anyone tell you that stuff is flammable?"

"I wish I knew beforehand! I almost blew everything to Hell."

"Well at least now I know they won't do it themselves... For some reason..."

She eyes me up and down tapping her chin.

"Say, you really want to help put this city back together, superhero?"

"I'm not a- Well yeah."

She pumps her fist in the air with a mirthful smirk before taking the lead.

"Follow me then!~ It's kind of late, but I know a place that'll keep us safe, not to mention well fed!"

"I could go for some food..."

I rub my empty stomach. Sure, at times I drain the power around me and it feeds me somehow, but only for a short time. Good in a fight but not for living off of. She takes me to a subway. I get a little irked as she hops down onto the tracks.

"What th-? Are you crazy, woman?"

"If you're going to talk to me then use my name, boy."

She points ahead with a casual gesture.

"I don't want to run into anymore freaks and gang bangers, okay? The trains stopped working due to the initial blast, and no one turned them back on, probably because the only ones that could either died or went into hiding during the mass riots..."

She thumbs behind her without even looking.

"So we don't have to worry about anything big coming after us from the front or back... Where were you during those riots? If you took down the Dragons, you could've helped the police with that, right?"

I hop down careful of my footing as I groan at her question.

"I-I woke up to my powers and was out of control. People were... Are still looking for someone to blame."

"Conduits definitely make the most sense nowadays, huh... But, it wasn't you, was it."

I look up at her unsure how to respond. She reads my face and grows wide eyed.

"Hey, whoa, are you about to cry?"

"I-I..."

I look down trying to find something else to say. That bomb took everything from me and so much more from everyone in the city.

"I just wish things could go back to the way things are."

"We're working on it! There's no way it's going to happen if you sulk about it! Keep a stiff upper lip, kid!"

She punches my arm playfully before leading the way down the hole.


	7. Corruption

Shinjuku was physically untouched by the blast. The riots that happened during and after though? The place is populated but it's gone from a Red-Light District to a true hive of scum and opportunity. The underground activity that usually hides from view is now out in the open for everyone to see. The Red Dragons had yakuza toughs in it, but from what I learned and saw when I emerged from the subway with Ohya, those guys were small fry.

Flags hang high over buildings and street lights, men in armor patrolling the streets with hi-tech weapons, a few even have guns. They have these checkpoints I've never seen before stationed, where they check people through these prints, and scan them right after. Ohya pushes me to the side trying to hide us both.

"Shit, shit, they built that stuff faster than I thought they would."

"They? Who's they?"

"D.U.P. These guys are their Japanese branch, but the blast killed most of the would-be volunteers."

"So let me guess… The enlisted the help of thugs and bullies to make up for low numbers?"

"How'd you figu-"

I point ahead where a woman's face is met with the butt of a rifle. She didn't even try to resist, just curl up into a ball and cry, pulled away out of sight by her ankle.

"They're treating this place like it's a military campaign, Ohya… More importantly, they want me dead."

She nods and gestures to the checkpoints.

"I know, which is why I'm holding you back. Those fingerprint scanners there? They're made to detect active Conduits… The body scan after is to check for that illness going around."

"So whether you're sick or super-powered, you're unwelcome. Got it. What's the plan?"

She looks around, eyes darting from officer to officer, counting them down before she pats my back.

"You're a smart guy if you've lived this long… Be careful. The city is prone to power outages due to the blast. I don't know how that'll affect you but you should know ahead of time."

"Power outages? How often do they happen?"

"Sometimes they last a few minutes and sometimes we'll go a day without a light."

"Good enough for me… You know where the power supply is for the town?"

She takes her phone out from her fanny pack and nods.

"It's deep in the city actually. Y-You could take the sewers but…"

"That's all I need to hear."

She tries to stop me, but I'm already tired from walking for so long in an empty corridor for hours with nothing but her voice to go on and on. It isn't like I hate her, she's just annoying as all Hell, and I need a break. That's when she pulls me back by the hand.

"Wait, asshole! At least take this!"

She hands me an earpiece.

"It's not a phone so it won't blow up if you don't run too much power through it. It'll probably stay fully charged just by being on you, so when I call, answer it! Got it?"

"Just when I thought I could escape from you I have to have you in my ear all the time… Stay safe."

We work together to gather a group of disgruntled citizens into a loud protest. She certainly knew what to say to get the already pissed off people to go off… While everyone was too busy getting angry at each other, under cover of the protest, I slip into a manhole for the sewers.

It isn't long until I receive a call from someone.

"Hey, Ohya, I'm not even halfway in yet. You didn't get arrested, did you?"

_"I've got a welt on my face but I've been through worse. I manage to get through after a bit of convincing. Being a journalist still has its perks!"_

"Well don't risk your life for a story."

_"You're younger than me and throwing yourself into the lion's den! I think I'm allowed a little risk in my life anyhow. Seriously though, the sewers have been untouched by the D.U.P. because the Kondo Family and other organizations have move down there."_

"What, they flushed down the rats down the toilet?"

_"Quite the opposite. They enact their business underground and out of sight, the government turns a blind eye to it; why do you think everyone in this town hates Conduits so much?"_

"It's to distract them… The fear is justified though. We're dangerous as any person with a gun."

_"Yeah well… I managed to get the schematics of the sewer system from a friend. Just tell me where you are and I'll navigate you through them."_

"I can't believe this… An excuse for you to keep talking even more in my ear."

_"You love it, you know you do."_

I do not. I do appreciate the help though, since I can make my own light, I'm ready for the occasional black out. Then it happened and I nearly fall over as the light I'm generating dims down. Probably for the best too. Ohya heard my weakened moans for when I fell and tried to speak up.

_"Hey, Sakamoto? What happened? A-Ar-?"_

I hang her up and drain the earpiece before lying still. Something… Big is coming my way. I can hear gunfire, people shouting, and then shrieking as a monster bellows in the dark. Someone must have thrown a fire bomb or moltov, either way I could see a light from the fire, and in that light was a shadow of something fearsome… It walks away from my path and the lights turn on. I charge the earpiece and answer it when it starts ringing.

_"Sakamoto, what happened?!"_

"Blackouts make me weak and there's something down here hunting people. From the sound of things, it's not something I want to face, not right now at least."

_"At least you're alive… You're going to need a shower by the time you get out of there."_

I didn't want to tell her that showers are… Kind of impossible for me now. Usually the electricity burns away any and all odors. That doesn't mean I don't take care of my health, if anything it worries me, and I don't like the fact I have to wade through waste and muck to get around. My body may clean itself, but not my clothes.

"Could you get me something fresh to wear too? I might just burn what I'm wearing when I get out."

_"Good idea. Clean water is a bit too precious to waste on washing your clothes alone."_

Most of the people I meet are homeless or suicidal. They all have this dead look on their faces, glazy hollow eyes devoid of hope, though some still react to an emissive teenager going around. Thankfully there's a walkway… Most of the time. I don't find myself electrocuting anyone even at the very end. One man stops me with a shout.

"Hey, Lightning Boy! You killed Kaneshiro, right?!"

I pause and turn expecting to see some grizzled thug, some decked out merc, basically anything except some withered old man. The voice was strong, powerful even, but he was just so small that it was almost comical.

"Yeah… I did. I'm not proud of it."

"You shouldn't be proud of butchering a pig. It's what men do when something needs to be done. They'll be looking for you specifically up there. Don't die."

"Did you know him?"

"Does it matter?"

I didn't answer. It mattered to me, but this is something that could be dealt with later. I've got to make it to the surface. I turn my light off and begin to make my way up.

"Don't die either, old man."

I leave him after that, and arrive in front of a number of shops and hotels. They decked the whole place to be one big brothel street. If even I could see that, then the D.U.P. would definitely know. What people do with each other is none of my business anyways. Ohya steps out from an alcove and waves me over.

"There you are, get over here qu-!"

She stops with her hands out as I walk over.

"WAIT! U-Ugh… Shower. Now."

I step out the washroom and come down the stairs to a bar. Ohya types away on a laptop while drinking glass after glass. An uh, "woman" tries to get her to mediate her drinks.

"You're drinking too much at once, you drunk. It isn't the same as coffee!"

"I know, I know, but your drinks are the best Lala-Chan! ~"

"Flattery won't get you another refill…! Oh- He's here."

Ohya looks my way with a pink face and goofy smile.

"Hahaha! ~ There he is! My ticket out this shithole! Get over here you sparky golden goose!"

"I don't drink…"

Lala-Chan coughs giving me an odd look.

"You look too young to be having any of this anyways. The world out there may be lawless but not my bar. We do still have soda and juice."

My face must have reacted before I spoke because Lala-Chan smiles already readying a glass.

"I haven't had juice in days…!"

Ohya snickers and slams the bar counter.

"Aha! See? I knew you'd take a liking to him too!"

Lala-Chan ignores her and serves me a drink with a wink.

"This one's on the house. Hopefully you're actually as helpful as she's making you out to be. No offense."

"None uh, taken?"

Ohya waves her arms between the two of us before showing her laptop screen.

"Zip it! Sakamoto. I want you to look at what I'm about to show you, carefully. It's important."

She plays a video of an all too familiar scene. It's a series of clips put together, starting with a man recording a woman posing in a Western city, only for all the power to die. After that came the blast, the same one that ruptured Shibuya, and it cuts to a helicopter feed. On a spire within the epicenter of the crater stood a single man. Another cut of the same man from the same helicopter shows him having some kind of panic attack, before what happened to him happened to me.

No. Something bigger, stronger, scarier. All of my powers have come from me, sure I siphon electricity from others, but never have I been able to do what this guy did. Like a finger of a god, a giant lightning bolt struck him, repeatedly as he stood there. My eyes wide as I knew what was going on, what he was feeling, a Conduit unable to control and contain his powers. He crosses a damaged bridge best he could, destroying it behind him, unaware of what he was even doing before the helicopter brightens up and goes black. It didn't take a genius to know it was struck down.

Ohya stops it there and looks at me with a serious expression this time.

"Cole MacGrath. Not only the first publicly known Conduit, but the most powerful of all, and he came out of a blast… Did you also come out of that thing?"

I stare at her with a guilty expression as I started to sweat slightly. She leans forward then to continue.

"Conduits usually have the one power. How they use it and what they do with it can be similar to others, or very different, yet never have we had two with the exact same power."

"T-This is starting to feel like an interrogation."

I try to laugh her demeanor off thinking it's a joke, but she's not kidding around, and her next question proves it.

"Apparently what was detonated and activated his powers was called a Ray Sphere."

"He blew up a city-?!"

"He was tricked into blowing up a city. Cole MacGrath was many things and flawed was one of them… But he was a good man."

"H-He was tricked too…?"

I let that one slip and she caught onto it quick. Lala-Chan gasps staring at me.

"Y-You did this to all of us…?"

Ohya taps her lower lip with her finger not even getting the least bit upset.

"I figured as much. Now I have proof, evidence, and a confession! ~"

I sit there lost in my own thoughts trying to figure out what the point of this whole thing was. I expected her to call up a bunch of D.U.P. goons and they'd swarm me. Instead, she takes another swig of her drink and smiles at me brightly.

"Everyone makes mistakes, kid! I'd love to ask what happened exactly, but I can already tell you're trying to make up for everything, and I told you I know a good place for you to start cleaning up."

"The park?"

"We'll deal with that later. No, you can start right here and free another Conduit that's been locked up recently."

She shows me on her laptop a facility in the middle of construction. There's a container that glows strangely and people surrounding it wear hazmat suits.

"There was a girl that had a bright future before you blew everything up. I think you owe it to her to free her before they do something awful. She offered herself up immediately learning about her powers, so she's heavily guarded, but if they can't find a use for her nuclear powers soon... They'll execute her before she has a meltdown."

I realize what she's talking about as she goes through the notes and images. Probably ones she compiled and took herself. I'd be impressed with her being able to make her way this deep into restricted territory if the information weren't so frightening.

Makoto Niijima was my senpai, the Student Council President, and general pain. She didn't deserve to be turned into a living nuclear reactor, especially since she's building up power, and that much power can cause problems in a populated city. Even if that city has been blown halfway to Hell. Every day I'm reminded of my faults, every day I tell myself this is what my mother would want, and every day I know it would be easy to just find a hole to crawl in and die.

My life has never been easy though and I'll be honest, I'm starting to get used to how batshit my life is becoming.

"Where do I get started? I can't exactly just waltz in and get her out willy nilly."

Ohya sneers with a terrifying glint in her eye.

"This is where my brilliance comes in... Just, roll with me for a little longer. I got a plan."


End file.
